On Drumming: The Psychology and Philosophy of Improvisation

by J.P. Bouvet

"This book is both a masterclass and a masterpiece." - Steve Vai (3x Grammy-winning guitarist).

"I have a regular music education, but JP is offering completely different, deeper, more creative content that you wouldn't find in a normal music school." - Tio Nunez

"JP's enlightening new book takes a deep dive into the challenging physical and mental aspects of drumming. These unique, clear explanations and practice strategies will help any drummer play better." - John Riley (author of 'The Art of Bop Drumming')

* This is a book of words (a normal book), not a book of drum exercises.

Can creativity be learned? Can you teach someone improvisation? Or is it an innate gift for “creative people?” In this one-of-a-kind book, renowned drummer and teacher, JP Bouvet, takes you on a tour through psychology, educational theory, and, of course, specific approaches to learning the drums, to reveal how improvisation is much easier to learn than most people think. You’ll learn how to leverage the natural tendencies of your mind to systematically learn what most drummers think can’t be learned…effortless improvisational freedom. This book is for every drummer who wishes they were more creative on their instrument.

JP Bouvet is a drummer and teacher, and runs the educational website, JPBouvetMethod.com, where he specializes in creating courses that teach improvisation with step-by-step methods. He studied music at Berklee College of Music and psychology at Columbia University. In 2011, he won the two largest drum contests in the world in the same year, and went on to tour the world with artists like Steve Vai, Periphery, and others. He has since taught drums in 34 countries, and thousands of students continue to find creative freedom from his online courses.

163 pages - 5" x 8"

Genres: Music, Psychology, Philosophy

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[Bradley Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

JP explains how our brains can conceptualize what we play on the drums as vocabulary. Like a creative author, we can learn to command our language in the moment to match the moment. The final chapter synthesizes why this is important and how it enriches the drummer’s life. This book is a good mix of theory and practical application, concisely conveyed and easily understood.

[Jared Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been drumming, on and off, for 35 years, and I never considered this area of study for improvisation. It's a remarkable book. My skills have improved since day one of picking this up. How does one follow cord changes and melodic shifts on drums? Read the book to find out.

[Karoline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the author explains how we can successfully memorize and improvise is also understandable for ESL speakers. The abstract and subconscious processes are described incredibly well. Thanks to his thorough explanations of the mechanisms and the greater scope, he motivates us to trust the process while maintaining patience. This is refreshing in a world in which we often rush from task to task and nothing we do seems ever to be good enough. I can apply certain strategies from the book to render all my learning processes more efficient and better organized-whether it is about drumming, languages, or ceramics.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

JP Bouvet has a good grasp of the academic writing genre which unfortunately means that the book is fairly longwinded and dry. The actual meat and potatoes of the book is pretty solid, though.

[Jasper Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

JP Explained in a very good way how our brains are connected to our playing

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. Incredible book. So practical!

[Mapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book on drumming, and what makes drumming drumming. It contains some concepts that can be generalized to building mastery on almost anything.

It can contain some life tips too if you zoom out enought.